Weldment and process for making the same



Sept. 12, 1961 w. o. REESIDE 2,999,800

WELDMENT AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed June 12, 1959 F kg. 5

INVEN TOR.

W/LU/IM 0. fiEfS/DE BYMH'W ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,999,800WEL'DMENT AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME William 0. Reeside, Malvern,Pin, assignor to A. V. Smith Engineering Company, Narbe'rth, Pa., ajcorporation of Pennsylvania 1 1 Filed June 12, 1959, Ser.'No. 819,970

- 6'Claims. (Cl. 204-196) The present invention is directedito aweldment and process for making the same,=and more-particularly isdirected to a weldment joining a copperconductor to a high silicon'ironanode, andtoa process-for making suchweldment.

The use of high silicon iron anodes'has gained wide acceptance in thefield of corrosion control and associated cathodic protectioninstallations.- However, a major failing of these high silioon ironanodes has been the difiiculty of securing copper conductors thereto.Thus, at the present time, substantially all connectio'ns between acopper conductor and 'a high silicon iron anode are effected by themechanical deformation of the copper conductor against the high siliconiron anode. These connections suffer from the disadvantage ofnot beingmetallurgical joints, but being merely mechanical connections, andtherefore lack the desired strength and electrical properties. 4

This. invention has as an object the provision of a weldment between acopper conductor and a high silicon iron anode which possesses excellentstrength and electrical properties, and to .a process for forming suchweldment. a,

This invention has as another object the provision 'of a weldment.between a high. silicon ironianode and copper which may be made by.relatively unskilled personnel using simple equipment, and to a processfor effecting such weldment.

This invention has as still another object the provision of a weldmentbetween a high silicon iron anode and copper which resists exposure toearth acids and to elemental forces.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts:

FIGURE 1 is. a side elevational view of a high silicon iron anode to beused in the weldment of the present invention and the process of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the high silicon iron anode ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 3 but revealing the firststage of the process of the present invention, namely the insertion ofthe copper conductor within the axial opening in the high silicon ironanode.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view revealing the finished weldment of thepresent invention.

The high silicon iron anode to be used to form the weldment of thepresent invention is designated generally as 10. Such high silicon ironanode is provided at its end 12 which is to receive the copper conductor14 with a pair of blind intersecting openings, namely the axial opening16 and the radial opening 18. Such openings 16 and 18 are preferablyformed in the high silicon iron anode at the time the same is cast, butmay be formed therein by drilling, if the high silicon iron anode isobtained as a completely solid member.

The axial opening 16 extends axially from the face of the end 12 for anappreciable distance. Preferably, as shown in the drawings, the axialopening 16 has a uniform inside diameter, except for its innermost end,which may be semispherical in configuration.

The radial opening 18 extends generally perpendicularly to the axialopening 16 from a side of the high silicon iron anode, preferably at apoint closer to the semispherical blind innermost end of the axialopening 16 than to the face of the end 12. The axial opening 16intersects the radial opening 18 closer to the blind innermost end ofthe radial opening 18 Since it is preferable to have the axial opening16 concentrically positioned about the longitudinal axisof the highsilicon iron anode 10, it will be seen that the intersection between theaxial opening 16 and the radial opening 18 will be closer to the blindinnermost end of the radial opening 18 than to the mouth thereof on theside surface of the high silicon iron anode 10.

In the first stage of the process of the present invention (FIGURE 4),the copper conductor 14 is inserted into the axial opening 16, with itsexposed strands extending to at least the intersection between the axialopening 16 and theradial opening 18.

. As shown in FIGURE 4, the copper conductor 14 is provided with a waterproof insulator-sheath 20 which surrounds the strands of copper 22. Theinsulator-sheath 20 is broken away from the strands of copper 22 well inadvance of the intersection of the axial opening 16 and radial opening18 for the reason set forth below.

When the copper conductor has been positioned, as aforesaid, thermite isintroduced through the radial opening 18 in a sufficient amount tooccupy the intersection between the openings 16 and 18, the blindportions of'such openings 16 and 18 beyond such intersection, and asmall portion of such openings in advance of such intersection. However,the thermite should not extend to the mouth of radial opening 1 8, norshould it extend to the insulatorsheath 20. Thus, contact between theinsulator-sheath 20 and the thermite must be avoided as the thermitewould burn it. Thus, sufficient thermite should be added to produce arough cross, the appearance of a suitable cross form being shown in thefusion weld nugget designated 24 in FIGURE 5. Thermite is a mixture ofaluminum and ferric oxide which when ignited liberates intense heat.Thermite welding for steel rails, and steam ship shafts, and the like,is well known, and the means for igniting the thermite to effect theweldment need not be described herein.

When the thermite is ignited, an actual fusion of the strands of copper22 into the high silicon iron anode material occurs, with the moltenmetal producing the generally cross-shaped fusion weld nugget 24 shownin FIG- URE 5.

After the aforementioned fusion weld nugget 24 has been produced, theslag is removed, and the axial opening 16 is partially filled, and theradial opening 18 is entirely filled with a suitable water-proofingmaterial, such as an epoxy resin 26.

An elastomeric washer 28, such as a polyethylene Washer is inserted intothe mouth of the axial opening 16, and serves both as a plug for theepoxy resin 26 and as a guide for the sheathed copper conductor 14.

A typical weldment formed by the process of the present inventionutilizing an A.W.G. No. 6 copper wire withstood a 300 pound pullindirect tension. Failure occurred between 350 and 400 pounds of tensionwhen the wire broke. The electrical resistance of the connection was but0.0001815 ohm.

The weldments of the present invention are capable of withstandingprolonged contact with earth acids, and high silicon iron anodescomprising the weldments of the present invention may be used forextended periods of time without any noticeable adverse effects on theelectrical resistance properties and the mechanical strength propertiesof the weldment.

' The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential at tributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

- I claim:

. 1. A weldment comprising an insulator-sheathed copper conductor, ahigh silicon iron member having a pair of blind intersecting openingsangularly disposed in respect to each other, one of said blind openingsextending generally axially in respect to said member, the other of saidblind openings extending angularly to said one blind opening, saidinsulator-sheathed copper conductor extending through one of saidopenings, with the insulatorsheath being broken away to present barecopper wire intermediate the mouth of said one opening and theintersection between the openings, a generally cross-shaped fusion Weldnugget occupying the region of intersection of both of said blindopenings and extending into the portions of each opening on each side ofthe region of intersection between the openings, said weld nugget beingspaced from the insulator-sheath on the copper conductor, said fusionweld nugget being formed from the fusion of thermite, copper from thecopper conductor, and high silicon iron from the high silicon ironmember, and a high-dielectric waterproofing material being disposedwithin each opening on the open side of said weld nugget.

2. A weldment in accordance With claim 1 in which the openings aregenerally perpendicularly disposed in respect to each other, and thehigh silicon iron member is a generally cylindrical member, with thegenerally axial opening of the member extending inwardly on the axisthereof.

3. A weldrnent in accordance with claim 1, an elastomeric washerdisposed in the mouth of the one opening within which the copperconductor is received.

4. The process of joining a copper conductor to a high silicon ironmember which comprises forming a pair of blind angularly disposedintersecting openings in the high silicon iron member, introducing aninsulatorsheathed copper conductor through one of said openings, withthe insulator-sheath of said copper being broken away for a distancefrom one end of said copper wire so as to present a free copper end,inserting said free copper end into the intersection between saidopenings and maintaining the insulator-sheath at a spaced distance fromsaid intersection, introducing an incendiary through only the other ofsaid openings in sufiicient amount to occupy the region of intersectionof both of said blind openings but not in sufiicient amount to contactthe insulatorsheath, and forming a generally cross-shaped fusion Weldnugget of the incendiary, copper from said copper conductor, and highsilicon iron within the region of intersection of both blind openings,which fusion weld nugget extends into the portions of each opening oneach side of the region of intersection between the openings.

5. A process in accordance'with claim 4 which comprises plugging theopen' ends of each of the openings with a high dielectric waterproofmaterial after the formation of the fusion weld nugget.

6. A process in accordance with claim 4 in which the incendiary isthermite.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,559,668 Brown et a1. Nov. 3, 1925 1,788,485 Gunderson Jan. 13, 19312,507,694 Cox May 16, 1950 2,803,602 Cowsky et a1 Aug. 20, 19572,808,373 Andrus Oct. 1, 1957 2,851,413 Hosford Sept. 9, 1958 2,870,420Malek Jan. 20, 1959 2,870,498 Rejdak Jan. 27, 1959 2,926,128 Flower Feb.23, 1960

1. A WELDMENT COMPRISING AN INSULATOR-SHEATHED COPPER CONDUCTOR, A HIGHSILICON IRON MEMBER HAVING A PAIROF BLIND INTERSECTING OPENINGSANGULARLY DISPOSED IN RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID BLIND OPENINGSEXTENDING GENERALLY AXIALLY IN RESPECT TO SAID MEMBER, THE OTHER OF SAIDBLIND OPENINGS EXTENDING ANGULARLY TO SAID ONE BLIND OPENING, SAIDINSULATOR-SHEATHED COPPER CONDUCTOR EXTENDING THROUGH ONE OF SAIDOPENINGS, WITH THE INSULATORSHEATH BEING BROKEN AWAY TO PRESENT BARECOPPER WIRE INTERMEDIATE THE MOUTH OF SAID ONE OPENING AND THEINTERSECTION BETWEEN THE OPENINGS, A GENERALLY CROSS-SHAPED FUSION WELDNUGGET OCCUPYING THE REGION OF INTERSECTION OF BOTH OF SAID BLINDOPENINGS AND EXTENDING INTO THE PORTIONS OF EACH OPENING ON EACH SIDE OFTHE REGION OF INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE OPENINGS, SAID WELD NUGGET BEINGSPACED FROM THE INSULATOR-SHEATH ON THE COPPER CONDUCTOR, SAID FUSIONWELD NUGGET BEING FORMED FROM THE FUSION OF THERMITE, COPPER FROM THECOPPER CONDUCTOR, AND HIGH SILICON IRON FROM THE HIGH SILICON IRONMEMBER, AND A HIGH-DIELECTRIC WATERPROOFING MATERIAL BEING DISPOSEDWITHIN EACH OPENING ON THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID WELD NUGGET.